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NZ Games boss extends sympathies to Aust.

Sean Martin

In a show of Anzac spirit, New Zealand's Commonwealth Games team boss has extended his sympathies to his Australian counterpart in the wake of the Malaysia Airlines disaster.

Australia suffered the third-biggest number of fatalities, with 28 of its citizens and nine permanent residents among the victims of flight MH17 which was shot down over pro-Russian territory in eastern Ukraine on Thursday.

All 298 passengers and crew were killed, including New Zealander Mary Menke and New Zealand resident Robert Ayley who was travelling on a British passport.

NZ chef de mission Rob Waddell said the team had been rocked by the news of the crash and he had spoken with both Australian team boss Steve Moneghetti and Malaysian chef de mission Khairil Helmi Mokhtar, who had 44 victims on the flight, in the wake of the tragedy.

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"I have, on behalf of the team, expressed our absolute sympathy and condolences. They're pretty shellshocked by it and understandably so," Waddell said.

Team management had talked about the disaster and were monitoring its effect on the team, he said.

Meetings of Games' chefs de mission since the disaster have been marked by moments of silence to recognise the tragedy, Waddell said, but he was not aware of any plans to mark the catastrophe at the Games' opening ceremony on Wednesday.